Support the Ceramics Industry and protect British manufacturing jobs and skills
This petition gathered 111,238 signatures from 17 April 2026, according to the Parliament petitions site. The Government responded on 11 May 2026. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 6 July 2026.
The petition
Created by Hayley Baddiley. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Support the Ceramics Industry and protect British manufacturing jobs and skills
Apply energy intensive industry relief (Supercharger scheme) to the ceramics industry to help cut soaring industrial energy costs & support ceramics businesses, which are at the risk of imminent collapse without urgent intervention, as seen with Denby Pottery registering for administration support.
Urgently review the British Industrial Supercharger and expand it to include the ceramics industry within its remit, and produce a policy statement about the Government’s policy to protect and support industry and jobs.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 11 May 2026; the petitions site lists the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade as responsible. Its summary:
The Government intends to publicly consult on the eligibility of the British Industry Supercharger this year. However, consultation outcomes, including future sector inclusion, cannot be pre-empted.
The response in full:
The British Industry Supercharger delivers targeted relief to eligible energy-intensive industries (EIIs) for their electricity policy and network costs on the basis of their high exposure to carbon leakage, the offshoring of production and jobs to overseas competitors who do not face equivalent climate change policy controls.
The current list of eligible sectors is set out in secondary legislation under the Electricity Supplier Obligations (Amendment & Excluded Electricity) Regulations 2015 (as amended), the Electricity Capacity (Supplier Payment etc.) (Amended and Excluded Electricity) Regulations 2024, and the Energy-Intensive Industry Electricity Support Payments and Levy Regulations 2024) (as amended).
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) intends to review the eligibility criteria for the British Industry Supercharger this year, as referred to in the Minister for Industry’s response to a parliamentary question (UIN 128253) tabled on 20 April 2026, to ensure that current government policy remains targeted, effective and proportionate. However, any changes to eligibility criteria under the scheme are subject to public consultation, and approval from the UK Parliament and government ministers. While an exact date has not been provided as to when this consultation will begin, DBT encourages the ceramics sector to engage with this review and submit all relevant evidence when the opportunity arises.
The Government has set out its actions to support UK industry and boost economic growth in our Modern Industrial Strategy. Through targeted support to IS-8 and frontier industries, the Government will improve resilience of supply chains, increase trading opportunities, and reduce regulatory burdens. Support to these strategic sectors will not only improve economic growth but also create jobs up and down the country. However, all industries will have a role to play in revitalising our economy.
The Government recognises the importance of the ceramics sector to many communities, particularly the deep importance of the tableware industry to Stoke-on-Trent. The ceramics industry has faced difficult economic circumstances, exacerbated by an uncertain geopolitical environment. The Government will continue to engage with the industry, trade unions and the sector’s main trade association, Ceramics UK, to better understand their challenges and explore how they can best be supported.
Department for Business and Trade
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies. Measured against each constituency's electorate at the 2024 general election, the most came from Amber Valley, with 54.8 signatures per 1,000 electors (3,919 in all).
110,123 of the signatures were from the UK and 1,115 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures | Electorate, July 2024 | Per 1,000 electors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Valley | 3,919 | 71,546 | 54.8 |
| Mid Derbyshire | 2,551 | 69,917 | 36.5 |
| Derbyshire Dales | 1,414 | 73,324 | 19.3 |
| Derby North | 1,204 | 71,879 | 16.8 |
| Erewash | 893 | 71,501 | 12.5 |
| South Derbyshire | 875 | 73,714 | 11.9 |
| Stoke-on-Trent South | 799 | 70,002 | 11.4 |
| Broxtowe | 740 | 70,440 | 10.5 |
| Bolsover | 804 | 77,207 | 10.4 |
| Ashfield | 712 | 68,929 | 10.3 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| East Midlands | 23,616 |
| South East | 13,525 |
| West Midlands | 11,721 |
| East of England | 9,249 |
| North West | 8,927 |
| South West | 8,567 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 7,422 |
| London | 6,758 |
| Scotland | 6,562 |
| Wales | 3,300 |
| North East | 3,159 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,580 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 6 July 2026. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/764785.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
ce7936c20b60d7cb… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.